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Author Topic: Collinsville Development Article in Tulsa World  (Read 3786 times)
si_uk_lon_ok
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« on: May 12, 2006, 11:42:16 am »

quote:
Collinsville enjoying development boom

Land prices are reasonable and the city still has small-town charm.
For years, "Collinsville" and "development" were rarely uttered in the same sentence.

Stan Sallee, mayor of Collinsville and a long-time resident, said the town went nearly two decades without a new subdivision until the construction of South Fork in the late 1990s.

"Growth was pretty stagnant at that time," he said.

Collinsville now seems to be making up for lost time. Earth-moving equipment is turning dirt on a number of sites in or near the city to keep up with the estimated 850 homes recently completed, under construction, under development or planned for Collinsville.

Sallee said the new construction could catapult the city's population from 4,500 now to 6,500 in the next five to 10 years.

Though home development has ramped up since the start of the decade, construction has increased to an almost dizzying speed for such a small town. Sallee said that 43 building permits were issued in 2004. Last year, the number leapt to 81, and the first three months of 2006 netted 34 permits alone.

Local developers, such as Susie McConaghie of Dee George & Sons Properties LLC, said Collinsville has suddenly developed a reputation
as a desirable place to live.

"I think Collinsville is the next Owasso," McConaghie said. "I was around in 1991 when Owasso really started busting open, and now Collinsville has all the same signs."

Josh Freeman, office manager of Home Town Real Estate in Collinsville, said that much of the town's newfound home construction is thanks to the growth of Owasso. With Owasso's new, thriving retail corridor just five to 10 minutes away, Collinsville residents don't have to drive all the way to Tulsa for shopping, he said.

Furthermore, Owasso's population boom has caused people looking for rural-style small-town living to consider Collinsville instead.

"It used to be people would move out of Tulsa and go to Owasso, but now I'm seeing people moving from Owasso to Collinsville," Freeman said.

Land prices are generally cheaper in Collinsville than Tulsa, and the undeveloped areas allow people to buy larger lots than are available in the city, he said.

McConaghie said that Collinsville's growth has removed its image of dullness, but the community still is comfortably small.

"People don't look at Collinsville like they used to," she said. "It used to have a stigma years ago as being a small town with nothing happening, but no longer."

Whatever their reasons, people are buying houses there in droves. Developers say they've had no problems selling lots, even before the foundation is poured.

For example, Kyle Smalygo of Smalygo Properties said that the 28 lots in Overland Park, a 30-acre development at 146th Street and Sheridan Road that began construction last year, were snapped up quickly.

"I sold a lot there every 15 days until the division was sold out," he said.

In another of his projects, the 170-acre Tylers Crossing at 166th Street North and 145th East Avenue, Smalygo wants to combine at least 70 homes on one acre apiece, which will begin construction in August, with higher-density housing and 50 acres of commercial development coming later.

"It'll be suitable for large-box stores in competition with the new developments in Owasso," he said. "We're getting ready to shake up the brown paper sack here."

Additional Smalygo projects include 30 homes at Stone Gate Extended, 146th Street North and 115th East Avenue, that will begin construction in 30 days, and 14 homes aimed at older residents at Stone Village, 141st Street North and 119th East Avenue.

Another developer, Buford Williams with Battle Creek Land Development, said the new demand for Collinsville land has exceeded his expectations.

"We're certainly pleasantly surprised at the level of interest and activity in Collinsville," he said.

Williams is currently constructing 51 homes on 40 acres at Cooper Crossing near Oklahoma 20 and North Yale Avenue, and is hoping to obtain city approval to build 40 more homes there.

He also developed the first two phases of South Fork, 126th Street North and 129th East Avenue, and built 70 lots. DG&S will complete the third phase with an additional 30 homes, McConaghie said.

DG&S, which is partially owned by Sallee, is also developing Ashbury Park, 136th Street North and 129th East Avenue, which will begin 240 homes on 80 acres by Christmas. Another future property is Copper Mill, Oklahoma 20 and Sheridan Road, which will begin 100 homes on 80 acres next month.

McConaghie said that Copper Mill is already 40 percent sold.

Yet another developer, 126th Street Properties LLC, is constructing 183 lots in the Creekside development, 129th East Avenue and 126th Street North.

Despite the seemingly large amount of new houses coming from competing projects, developers feel there's more than enough interest to prevent an oversupply.

"Competition is good," McConaghie said. "The 800 lots won't be online all at the same moment."

The rapid growth is presenting some problems. Sallee said that having to extend its infrastructure rapidly into new developments has been a challenge.

"It weighs on the city to provide the quality services our citizens expect and deserve," he said.

Furthermore, Collinsville's status as a bedroom community provides it with relatively low sales tax income, and there have been few new retail developments that could shore it up.

Still, Sallee said that the growing number of customers at Collinsville Municipal Authority will help the town keep up with the growth.  


This reminds me of the fat girl from school getting invited to the prom by the guy that sells knives.  Sure, she's happy to get the attention, but it really isn't a good idea.  

I shudder to think what kind of sh*thole this town will be in 20 years time with shacks attached to two-car garages still on septic tanks that are so far out of town that the residents can't afford the fuel to drive in and at a density public transport can never serve efficiently.
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